no title

Editorial

Welcome to Presidents Cup

About our Editorials

Dispatch editorials express the view of the
Dispatch editorial board, which is made up of the publisher, the president of
The Dispatch, the editor and the editorial-writing staff. As is the traditional newspaper
practice, the editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the newspaper.
Comments and questions should be directed to the
editorial page editor.

It’s no secret that Columbus is a great golf town — no other city can claim Jack Nicklaus as its
native son and host of the annual Memorial Tournament, and
Golf Magazine recently named Columbus the second-best golf city in the nation.

This week, though, central Ohio’s bragging rights as a top spot for the sport will get an
international spotlight, with the prestigious Presidents Cup coming to Muirfield Village Golf
Club.

The Presidents Cup is an event in which a team from the United States competes with a team made
up of players from other non-European countries. The tournament rotates among various cities around
the globe; the only two American locations to host it since its inception in 1994 have been San
Francisco and the Washington, D.C., suburb of Prince William County, Va.

At least 150,000 people are expected to attend in person, bringing about $23 million in
spending, and millions more will watch televised coverage worldwide.

The fact that central Ohio is playing host to this year’s tournament is a coup, with potential
benefits far beyond the one-time influx of visitors and spending.

As Columbus tourism leaders step up efforts to attract more visitors to the city, they know one
of the biggest problems for years has been a lack of awareness about Columbus in the national
market; hosting such a high-profile sporting event can put a city on the map with those who decide
where other top-tier sporting events will be held, as well as with people who may decide to bring
other types of meetings or even businesses to central Ohio.

“You can’t place a value on the exposure we’ll receive,” said Dublin Mayor Tim Lecklider at a
news conference in July. “This is a tremendous opportunity to market the central Ohio area.”

In an effort to extend the impact and the benefit experience beyond Dublin, where Muirfield is
located, organizers have planned the opening ceremony, featuring pop band Rascal Flatts, at
Columbus Commons park on Wednesday. Dublin will host the Fore! Fest on Thursday, and those
attending the Presidents Cup will be encouraged to visit the Short North Gallery Hop on
Saturday.

“From an image standpoint, having it here will help us attract other international
competitions," Linda Logan, executive director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, told
The Dispatch.

These types of events also are part of a broader economic-development strategy for the city,
which has started to devote a larger portion of its hotel bed-tax revenue to the city’s convention
and visitors bureau Experience Columbus. One positive visit by a business leader can end up
sparking investment down the road.

“There will be all these business executives from overseas here who will see our health sciences
or our tech community, and you never know,” said Guy Worley, president and CEO of the Columbus
Downtown Development Corp.

More information is available at
www.presidentscup.com; tickets to the tournament and
opening ceremony are sold out, though some practice-round tickets still may be available.